Statement by three abuse groups concerning end of the German Government Round Table and compensation for loss and damages caused at German orphanages in 1950s and 1960s.

Jürgen Repschläger, spokesperson for the 'Eckiger Tisch'and former students at the Jesuit Aloisius-Kolleg in Bonn:

„We declare our solidarity with the abused orphanage-kids, who have a right to feel betrayed by government and church.“

„The Government Round Table on orphanage-victims (RTH) has been a scheme in order to please the responsible institutions. State and Church officials do not seem to be ashamed to humiliate the abused children once more.”

„The rude remarks of the committee’s chairperson, Mrs. Vollmer (the victims are supposed to be grateful for having had the opportunity to talk) as well as those made by others, is a mockery towards the survivors. It should be a normality that the victims have to be supported. Instead they have been re-traumatised in many sittings and hearings – especially giving the meager results.“

„The victims and survivors should be supported in demanding their rights and not be discouraged by church and government representatives. Resources are to be made available for this in order to create and support advisory and victims initiatives. Proof had been destroyed by the abuse-harbouring institutions and now the same institutions are trying to minimize victims chances to get their rights by creating new and additional bureaucratic demands. Victims shall never again be made into petitioners.“

„We demand the individual support and compensation handed to any individual victim in Germany should be no less than the European average (e.g. Ireland 70.000€ per victim). It would be shameful if Germany would fall behind this already inadequate amount. The funds have to be increased accordingly. We demand the German Government to take a stand for this.”

Norbert Denef, chairperson of NetzwerkB, the German networrk of victims and affected of sexually motivated abuse:

„The more than humble demand by the abused former children at orphanages for 300,- € monthly pension or a one-time payment of 54.000 €, , is the absolute minimum to be asked for. These former orphanage kids suffer from crimes against humanity committed while being in the care of church and state institutions. Germany, one of the richest countries in the world, has to be ashamed of itself, if all the country can do for the abuse-victims is throwing peanuts at them.”

„If politicians don’t know what to do or don’t want to do something, they start a round table and talk until the media interest has vanished. The Round Table for abused orphanage-victims has discussed two years in order to decide to feed peanuts to the victims. The same is planned for the Round Table on victims for sexual child abuse. All in order to protect the abuse-harbouring institutions and organisations.“

„Why do politicians still try to cover up and still do not involve the survivors of sexual abuse in the discussion for solutions, but rather acts without and against them?“

„Because these are crimes against humanity, networkB demands the ending of the statutes of limitations for crimes of sexual motivatet child-abuse in Germany and Europe. Those who say that isn’t possible just fear losing power. They stick to their power by protecting the perpetrators.“

„We demand action of the politically responsibles and the end for them to hide behind round tables anymore.“

Declaration of Barbara Blaine, President (SNAP):

“As the Roundtable comes to a close, we fully expect to be disappointed with the results. Discussions involving complicit church officials are not what's needed. What's needed is decisive action by secular officials which both protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded.”

“Our understanding is that some survivors are upset because very little financial compensation is being considered for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of deeply wounded victims. We understand their pain.”

“At the same time, however, we strongly feel that secular and religious authorities should focus first on safeguarding kids today, by exposing and removing credibly accused predators and exposing the truth about how much church officials have known and little, if any, responses that were made to protect the innocent.”

“We also hope that secular officials will consider legal reforms that would enable more child sex victims to expose those who commit and conceal child sex crimes in court.”

Eckiger Tisch (square table)
Eckiger Tisch is the representation of the survivors of sexuall motivated abuse at Jesuit institutions in Germany. Eckiger Tisch has been founded in Berlin Autumn 2009 and exists in Berlin, Bonn, Hamburg and St. Blasien. Eckiger Tisch is an independent organisation to support the victims of child-abuse with no political or ideological concerns and cooperates with all likewise oriented initiatives worldwide, specially in the USA and Ireland.http://www.eckiger-tisch.de/

netzwerkB.org (Netzwork of victims to sexually motivated abuse) is an independent organisation. Victims are standing up for each others by breacking the social tacit, inform about cause and results of sexual motivated abuse and fight for change.

netzwerkB.org is cooperating worldwide with other networks as SNAP and supports the networking of abuse victims.
www.netzwerkB.org

SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
SNAP is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 22 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers.
www.SNAPnetwork.org